The situation
A popular restaurant took money across several channels: cash, card machines, two delivery apps and tips. Each paid out differently, with fees and delays, and the owner could never get the takings to tie back to the bank.
The problem
Without clean reconciliation, the VAT returns were guesswork and the accounts unreliable. Delivery app commissions and card fees were being overlooked as costs, and the mix of income made it hard to know true profit.
What we did
- Mapped every channel. We set up a system that captures cash, card, app income and tips separately.
- Reconciled to the bank. We matched payouts, net of fees and commissions, to the bank so nothing was missing.
- Fixed the VAT and accounts. We produced accurate VAT returns and clean accounts, claiming the fees as costs.
What changed
The takings now reconcile cleanly each period, the VAT returns are accurate, and the owner finally has a true profit figure to run the business on. The overlooked app and card fees are now claimed, reducing the tax.
What this shows
Hospitality income is genuinely complex to reconcile, but with the right system every channel ties back, the VAT is right, and the real profit becomes visible.
Struggling to reconcile takings?
We set up a system that captures every income channel, reconciles it to the bank, and gives you accurate VAT, clean accounts and a true profit figure.